Looking for a guide to Ecuadorian (and other) cooking? Laylita’s recipes and advice have gained a worldwide audience

If you’ve been looking for Ecuadorian recipes with a little international flare, your hostess is Layla Pujol, commonly known as Laylita.

Laylita and her kids.

Layla grew up in Vilcabamba and Loja, south of Cuenca, but lives today in Seattle, in the U.S., with her French husband and two sons. She says her cross-cultural influences have made her appreciate the cuisine of her youth but have also allowed her to add some new twists.

Layla’s website, Laylita’s Recipes, is popular with Ecuadorians living abroad as well as with tourists and potential expats interested in getting a preview of Ecuadorian dishes. The website’s wide appeal is due, in part, to the fact that it is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. The website is visited thousands of times a day.

Layla says her tastes and recipes, have expanded beyond Ecuador. “Now, they include anything from Latin America, and my mom’s spicy New Mexican cooking, my grandmother’s homemade Southwestern dishes and Texas style BBQ, my husband’s (and his family’s) delicious French food, and new dishes introduced by my amazing group of international friends.”

Some of her latest recipes are based on the seafood, vegetables and fruits from her current home, the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

If you haven’t discovered Laylita and are interested in Ecuadorian (and other types of cooking), this is your introduction. The website is laylita.com.